Partial vs. Total Knee Replacement: Which is Better?

When osteoarthritis severely damages the knee, surgery is often the final answer to restoring mobility and eliminating pain. However, not all knee arthritis is the same, and not all knee replacements require removing the entire joint.

Total Knee Replacement (TKR)

In a Total Knee Replacement, all three compartments of the knee (medial, lateral, and patellofemoral) are resurfaced.

• Best for: Patients with “bone-on-bone” arthritis affecting multiple areas of the knee, severe bow-legged or knock-kneed deformities, or inflammatory conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• The Precision Difference: We use Stryker Mako Robotics for TKR to ensure sub-millimeter alignment, which dramatically extends the lifespan of the total implant.

Partial Knee Replacement (PKR / Uni-Condylar)

A Partial Knee Replacement only resurfaces the specific compartment that is damaged (usually the inner/medial side), leaving all healthy bone, cartilage, and ligaments (including the ACL) perfectly intact.

• Best for: Patients whose arthritis is strictly confined to one side of the knee.
• The Advantage: Because it preserves your native ligaments, a partial knee feels much more “natural” than a total knee. Recovery is significantly faster, and the incision is much smaller.

Which is Better?

There is no “better” surgery—only the right surgery for your specific anatomy. Performing a partial replacement on a knee with widespread arthritis will lead to early failure, while performing a total replacement on isolated arthritis destroys healthy bone unnecessarily.

Using advanced CT-mapping and robotic algorithms, our board evaluates your joint to determine exactly how much intervention is necessary, guaranteeing zero-compromise joint preservation.